Kymjon

This may be one you won't be able to help me with. Here we are on our trip of a lifetime and I am sick!! I have just waited it out for the last 4 days but I am not getting any better. I am thinking a chest infection of some sort.
We are in San Francisco from New year's Eve until this Sunday. So I need to see a Dr on Friday or Saturday. Can anyone recommend who to see given that it is holiday time?
Any advice greatly appreciated.
What a bummer!

Dayle

Your best bet will be to go to an Urgentcare clinic inyour healthcare network if you have US health insurance. If you do have this insurance you should also have a card with a phne number to call for a referral. Even better you can also look up providers onthe carrier's website.


If you are not a US resident ask your hotelfor a referral. Hopefully you have medical insurance or trip insurance that will cover a doc visit.

Hope you feel better. There are some nasty viruses going around.

MichelleY

Urgent care. if your insurance is no good here in the US, make a deal to pay cash. Get better soon.

Hobbert

Definitely Urgent Care. Target and CVS stores often have Urgent Cares in the store and are very reasonably priced. Plus, you can fill a prescription right there.

nytraveler

If you check for SF onlineI'm sure you will find a number of Urgi Centers (doc in a box). Unless you are stuck in an HMO no need to find one from your current insurer - they are typically associated with local hospitals - but are free-standing - and don;t have the huge waiting times of emergency rooms (where you will wait while more serious cases are triaged first). Typically they take any major insurance.

Just call and determine hours and facilites (they are usually 7 days a week and 12 to 14 hours per day.

If you think it's a chest problem make sure you ask if they have an X-ray on site - since they may want to do that to ru;e out pneumonia. I had to use one for that over a weekend a couple of years ago. Was very sick and thought I had the flu - but the test said no and the xray made it walking pneumonia.

As long a you have insurance it's usually counted as office visit - cost me $25. If you don;t have insurance have no clue of the cost but they take CCs.

thursdaysd

The OP is the Australian from the tipping advice thread, so no US insurance.

So sorry you got sick, and do hope you have medical insurance. Urgent care is likely to be your best bet, you might check the yelp reviews for those nearest to you. When I need a doctor abroad I usually check the embassy website for a referral, but I don't think that will work so well in the US as it can be hard to get an appt. if you are not a registered patient (and sometimes even then).

smetz1

So sorry to hear you're sick during your trip, & hope you get better quick. Good advice above.

You don't have to tip the doctor.

Sassafrass

Other names for Urgent Care are Patient First and Care One. There is a strain of flu going around that is not covered by the flu vaccine this year. They can very quickly test. Good luck with this. Hope you are better soon.

Kymjon

Thank you all. I will look into thevUrgent care today. I do have medical travel insurance which is quite different from the insurance that many of you are talking about. My best bet is to pay cash which I may then be able to claim back through the insurance. Anyway, I need to do something. I have never heard of walking pneumonia.
I won't tip !!

DebitNM

There is a nasty bug going around and antibiotics "may" or "maynot" be needed, but only a DR can determine that. Go NOW and feel better.

DebitNM

http://www.yelp.com/c/sf/urgent_care

Inakauaidavidababy

Go to an Urgent Care NOW. They can usually do initial lab work right there and have some sophisticated equipment. Then you will at least know and have proper meds prescribed to be on the road to recovery sooner then later. I'm not sure a pharmacy clinic is the answer. They are usually far less equipped and not staffed as well. Urgent Care will usually get you in and out with a good doctor, nursing staff and diagnostics.

The sooner you get there, the sooner you will be on the mend to enjoy the rest of your journeys.

Inakauaidavidababy

Also, Urgent Care is likely open today, so no reason to put off a visit for another day.

clarkgriswold

The Urgent Care @ 490 Post Street may be open today....phone(415) 981-1102 . Also your hotel front desk may have a list of nearby docs.

gail

Influenza/flu is reaching epidemic levels in some US states. Or you could just have a bad cold. "Walking pneumonia" is generally a mycoplasma pneumonia so named because although one usually fells sick, not so much that they can't get out of bed. It and other pneumonias and respiratory infections generally respond quite well to antibiotics.

Sorry you got sick on your trip - and glad you have maintained your sense of humor as evidenced by the tipping comment. Ask your hotel for a recommendation if you can't find a place.

newtome

Golden gate urgent care has several locations around SF.

Ucsf also has an urgent care clinic on parnassus but is harder to get into.

Good luck!

nytraveler

"Walking pneumonia" is not so bad that you have to be hospitalized - you can usually stay at home with it and recover with antibiotics and supportive therapy. I was still sick for more than a week - but after day 4 was able to work from home (important to preserve these days off).

Inakauaidavidababy

To suggest that someone may have walking pneumonia out of your magic doctors hat and then to suggest it is no big deal? Really?

Dukey1

Diagnoses are a dime a dozen on this site and often worth even less IMO. But wait!!! All illnesses are exactly alike apparently. People are basically trying to help I am sure but it can be frightening and dangerous sometimes.

nytraveler

Never suggested OP had walking pneumonia. Suggested they be sure that the urgi center has an X-ray so the MD can use it for Dx if necessary. No point in going to an urgi center without one, MD deciding they need one and then have to go to an ER.